Rotor with spark gap



WL'MIAFFEY ROTOR WITH SPARK GAP Filed March 12, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to a rotor voltage amplifier and more especially to a spark intensifier for use in an ignition system.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character wherein the rotor of a distributor carries spaced electrodes, these being in the form of metal plates separated from each other to provide gaps therebetween so that in the use thereof voltage through the ignition system will be amplified to intensify a spark at a spark plug, the spaces providing arc gaps of any desired dimension between the electrodes and these latter being arranged between the sparking coil and the spark plug and rotate with the rotor of the distributor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device-of this character which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its operation, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of a distributor rotor showing the device constructed in accordance with the invention in association therewith.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the insulator disk for the rotor removed.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the insulator disk.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of rotor and device.

Figure '7 is a sectional view on the line 'l--'! of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, particularly Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, there is shown a rotor 10 as employed in a distributor for use in the igni tion system and this rotor has the hub ll engageable with a timing shaft, not shown, as conventional in internal combustion engines. The rotor ID as is customary is made from insulating material and in this instance the upper face has formed a circular shaped counterseat I3 for an insulating disk I4 effecting a covering for a series of arcuately formed conductor pieces I5, [6, l1, and i8, respectively, of metal, these eing embedded as at l 8 in the rotor H1 in spaced relation to each other and underlie the disk M, the spaces l9 providing arc gaps.

Joined with the piece I5 is a spring contact 20 having a button terminal 2| the latter being adapted for electrical connection with the lead of a sparking coil, not shown, as conventionally fitted in the head of a distributor, while connected with the piece 18 is an output contact 22 which delivers electric current to the lead or leads to a spark plug or plugs, not shown, the distributor points of such leads to the said spark plug or plugs being conventionally fitted with the head of the distributor. The insulator disk l4 has the clearances or openings 23 and 24, respectively, for the spring contact 20 and output contact 22.

The conductor pieces I 5, l6 and I! have the tapered ends 25 in the direction of the gaps l9. In Figures 6 and 7 there is shown a slight modification wherein the rotor body 26 is of elongated formation and has a plurality of spaced conductor pieces 2?, 28 and 29, respectively, made 7 from metal countersunk in the said rotor with insulations 30 therebetween and top insulation coverings 31, while counterseated in the rotor 26 is the lead-in plate or strip 32 for electric current and the output piece 33, respectively, the lead-in strip 32 being joined with the spring contact 34 corresponding to the contact as indicated at 20 and 2!.

The lead-in strip 32 is spaced from the pieces 21, 28 and 2S and this space if occupied by an insulating section 35 and likewise the contact 33 is correspondingly spaced therefrom and such space is occupied by insulation 36 so that are gaps will be set up between the said parts 21, 28, 29, 3 2 and 33 for intensifying a spark at the spark plug, not shown.

What is claimed is:

In a rotor with spark gap formed from insulating material, a series of metal pieces embedded in the rotor and insulated from each other by the same, an extension on one end metal piece of the series for successively engaging contacts of a distributor connected to spark plugs, a spring contact on the other metal end piece of the series for engaging a high tension contact of the distributor and insulation cover ing all of the metal pieces excepting the end metal pieces of the series.

RICHARD MAHAFFEY. 

